Wandering Eyes

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. – Tuesday, trainer Ian Wilkes spent 12 hours driving from Kentucky to Saratoga Race Course. By the end of the day Saturday, he is hoping that the time he spent behind the wheel was worth it. Only his 3-year-old filly Just Basking (Arrogate) will be able to let him know if the journey was justified. Just Basking is one of eight 3-year-old fillies entered to run in the $600,000 GI Alabama Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Saratoga. “If you can't believe in your horse, you shouldn't be here,” Wilkes said Wednesday morning after Just Basking had her bath at the private barn of trainer Jim Bond, where Wilkes's filly is bunking this week. “I wouldn't come.” Wilkes, the 59-year-old from Muswellbrook, Australia, believes. Just Basking, who will be ridden by Chris Landeros, will be making her graded stakes debut in the Alabama. She is coming off a dominant 4 3/4-length win in the Iowa Oaks at Prairie Meadows on July 6 for owners Andrew Schwarz and Wendy Schwarz Gilder. That is what convinced Wilkes to get Just Basking a van reservation. He also said it would have made no difference to him if Thorpedo Anna (Fast Anna) had shown up in the Alabama rather than running vs. the boys in the $1.25-million, Grade I Traves next weekend. “I would have been here,” Wilkes said. “I don't think I can beat Thorpedo Anna, but if she would have created a small (Alabama) field, I know I can get a strong mile and a quarter. A Grade I placing would help her value.” Just Basking broke her maiden at the odd distance of 1 1/4 miles Apr. 27 at Churchill, winning by 7 1/4 lengths. That was her third career start. What followed was a disappointing fifth place finish at 1 1/8 miles as the favorite, also at Churchill. “She got a little confused in that race (first start vs winners),” Wilkes said. “They went slow and she had to figure it out. What I liked in that race was that she really took off in the last 50 yards.” She then put it all together at Prairie Meadows. That got Wilkes to return to Saratoga, a place where he has spent the whole summer for years. He can't remember the last time he wasn't here for the entire season. And that dates back to before he went out on his own in 2006 after spending the prior 13 years as an assistant to future Hall of Famer Carl Nafzger. Saratoga has been a place for key moments in his career. He got his first graded stakes win (GII Amsterdam with Court Folly in 2006) and first Grade I win (Capt. Candyman Can in 2009). He said he stayed in Kentucky this summer because it got too expensive to ship his stable to Saratoga for the 40-day meet. “Saratoga is unique,” Wilkes said. “You miss it. It's a great place, great for racing. People love Saratoga. Owners love to come to Saratoga. There are two places owners love to win: Saratoga and Keeneland.” Win or lose on Saturday, Wilkes will stick around for another week. He is planning on running Positano Sunset (Goldencents) in the $500,000 GI Ballerina on Travers Day. 'Skippy' Set to Defend His Title in Charles Town Classic Skippylongstocking | SV Photography Skippylongstocking (Exaggerator), fresh off his fifth-place finish in the GI Whitney Stakes, is hitting the road. The 5-year-old horse, trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr. and owned by Daniel Alonso, will defend his title in the $1-million, GII Charles Town Classic Aug. 23 in West Virginia. “This looks like a good spot for him,” Joseph said outside his barn on the Saratoga backstretch. “He has bounced out of (the Whitney) really well; that's why we're going. And we know he likes that track.” He will have a work this weekend and van to West Virginia on Wednesday, Joseph said. Skippylongstocking won the 1 1/8-mile Charles Town Classic last year by five lengths with a front-running score. The unique configuration of the track means the race will have three turns. “Some horses can't handle that track,” Joseph said. “We know he can handle it.” Skippylongstocking will be making his 26th career start in the Charles Town Classic. He has eight wins, two seconds and five third-place finishes. This year, he has two wins in five starts. The two victories came in the GIII Challenger Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs Mar. 9 and the GII Oaklawn Handicap at Oaklawn Park Apr. 20. Before the Whitney, he was third in the GI Stephen Foster Handicap at Churchill Downs June 29. Joseph has driven to West Virginia for the race in the past, but isn't sure if he will be making the trip this time. He has two horses–Honor D Lady (Honor Code) and Soul of an Angel (Atreides)–being pointed to the GI Personal Ensign Stakes at Saratoga on the same day. The Charles Town Classic had a post time of 10:25 p.m. last year. Joseph said he has not decided if he will head to West Viginia or one of his assistants will do the saddling duties for the Charles Town Classic. Repole Keeping The Faith As Fierceness Nears His Date With The Travers Mike Repole | Sarah Andrew It has been well documented that Fierceness (City of Light), one of the top 3-year-old colts in training, can't put two solid efforts together back-to-back. Or, hasn't. Mike Repole, his confident owner with a rat-a-tat-tat delivery with an accent straight out of Queens, knows what Fierceness is going to do when he enters the starting gate for the $1.25-million, Grade I Travers Stakes Aug 24. “I'm looking for him to run fourth in the Travers and then win the (GI Breeders' Cup) Classic by seven,” Repole said. “What have I got to lose? We can't figure the horse out. His four wins, he has won with brilliance and amazing times. The three losses? We scratch our heads.” Fierceness is coming off a good day at Saratoga July 27 when he won the GII Jim Dandy Stakes by a length over Sierra Leone (Gun Runner). That was his first start since the GI Kentucky Derby when he laid an egg, finishing 15th as the favorite. Before that, he dominated the GI Florida Derby, winning by a record 13 1/4 lengths; the race before he fizzled to third in the GIII Holy Bull. Good race. Not so good race. A pattern. Repole and his Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher aren't really buying into that. When Fierceness is on top of his game, he is at the top of the list for best 3-year-olds in the country. He has won both of his career starts at Saratoga; he broke his maiden at the Spa by 11 1/4 lengths in his career debut last summer. Right now, Repole is crossing his fingers that his Kentucky homebred is beyond the good-race-bad-race modus operandi. “Eventually, he has to put two of them together, right?” Repole said. “There is a lot on the line in the Travers. This is a big boy race.” The post Saratoga Notebook, Presented by NYRA Bets: Wilkes Hopes Trip Was Worth it as Just Basking Takes Aim at Alabama appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Awesome Czech (Mendelssohn) became the fourth new stakes winner in the last 31 days for her Ashford-based stallion, pulling away to take Wednesday's Suzie O'Cain Stakes with a fair bit of authority. Settled in fourth and detached from the leading trio that was led by commonly owned stablemate Red Burgundy (Noble Mission {GB}), Awesome Czech was patiently handled down the back before being asked for some acceleration leaving the three-furlong pole. Steered out three wide at the top of the lane by Manny Franco, Awesome Check easily gathered up her 'mate' with a bit more than a sixteenth of a mile to travel and scooted clear. Brocknardini (Palace Malice) closed off well from the back of the field for second ahead of Munny Grab (Munnings) in third. The pacesetter weakened to fifth. “I had a good set up in front of me,” the winning jockey commented. “They went fast and I was comfortable with where I was. As soon as I asked her to go, she was there so it was just a matter of time. She has a great turn of foot turning for home. She always tries for me. I have won three times on her now. I love her.” A maiden winner at third asking when making her first turf start downstate last September, Awesome Czech closed her five-race campaign with a near-miss second against open rivals in the Nov. 17 Tepin Stakes at the Big A. Fifth off something of a hopeless trip in the June 22 Wild Applause Stakes, the bay most recently cleared her first state-bred allowance condition July 21, besting older rivals by a half-length. Hailing from the deeper female family of the late and influential Bernardini, Awesome Czech has a 2-year-old half-sister named Rare Society (Central Banker) and a foal half-brother by Honest Mischief. Marvelous Martina was covered by Mendelssohn for her 2025 foal. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by FanDuel TV. SUZIE O'CAIN S., $125,000, Saratoga, 8-14, (S), 3yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 1:42.94, fm. 1–AWESOME CZECH, 120, f, 3, by Mendelssohn 1st Dam: Marvelous Martina, by Awesome Again 2nd Dam: Marvelous Margaret, by Put It Back 3rd Dam: Port Isabel, by Time to Explode 1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. O-Barry K Schwartz; B-Stonewall Farm (NY); T-Horacio De Paz; J-Manuel Franco. $68,750. Lifetime Record: 8-3-2-0, $223,530. 2–Brocknardini, 120, f, 3, Palace Malice–Broad Stripes, by Bernardini. ($20,000 Ylg '22 FTKOCT; $35,000 2yo '23 EASMAY). O-Thomas & Daryn A Brockley; B-Thirty Year Farm (NY); T-George Weaver. $25,000. 3–Munny Grab, 118, f, 3, Munnings–Another World, by Maria's Mon. ($75,000 Ylg '22 SARAUG). O-Magic Cap Stables & Hayden Racing; B-EKQ Stables Corp (NY); T-Horacio De Paz. $15,000. Margins: 2 3/4, HD, 3 1/4. Odds: 3.85, 3.35, 4.70. Also Ran: Summer Whirl, Red Burgundy, Boxed Wine, Downtown Channel, Bossy Jeans. Scratched: Alette d'Oro, Landed. AWESOME CZECH, 3YO daughter of @coolmoreamerica stallion Mendelssohn, surges for the win in the Suzie O'Cain Stakes under @jockeyfranco for @depazracing! pic.twitter.com/btVjv1rPdw — NYRA () (@TheNYRA) August 14, 2024 The post Awesome Czech Keeps Mendelssohn On A Roll in Susie O’Cain appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Waterville Lake Stables' ANNASCAUL (f, 2, American Pharoah–Epping Forest, by Exchange Rate) took play to be off as the 7-4 favorite while making her career debut against her fellow New York-breds Wednesday afternoon at Saratoga, and she duly treated them to a four-length beating from the front beneath Frankie Dettori. The beautifully bred chestnut, whose dam was perfect in only two starts against New York-breds and won four times in open company, bounced alertly and was soon at the head of affairs, clicking off an opening quarter-mile in :22.04. Taking pressure to her outside from a lugging-out Mischief Lady (Honest Mischief) on the turn, Annascaul was given a dig by Dettori three-sixteenths of a mile from home and was under only vigorous hand urging to score by about four lengths in the time of 1:03.13 for the 5 1/2 furlongs on the turf. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0. O/B-Waterville Lake Stables (NY); T-Christophe Clement. ANNASCAUL, the 2YO daughter of @coolmoreamerica stallion American Pharoah, breaks her maiden impressively in the sixth race with @FrankieDettori up for trainer @clementstable. pic.twitter.com/7ZDP3LbK78 — NYRA () (@TheNYRA) August 14, 2024 The post American Pharoah Filly Annascaul Flies at First Asking at Saratoga appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Remington Park track announcer and publicist Dale Day previews the track's upcoming meet including the opening night card featuring the Governor's Cup.View the full article

Based on a panel discussion Aug. 14 on fixed-odds wagering for United States racing, there's little hope such wagers will be added in a widespread manner anytime soon although the majority of the panel would like to see such a move.View the full article

Remington Park track announcer and publicist Dale Day previews the track's upcoming meet including the opening night card featuring the Governor's Cup.View the full article

Madaket Stables, Molly Willis and Paul Willis' Jimmy P poured it on in the final turn to notch his first grade 1 triumph in style in the $150,000 Jonathan Sheppard (NSA-1), a 2 3/8-mile steeplechase handicap for older horses at Saratoga Aug. 14.View the full article

Edited Press Release Len Green is well known in racing circles for D.J. Stable's success at the New York Racing Association tracks, but on Wednesday he was publicly recognized for his longstanding commitment to the backstretch community when he received the Marylou Whitney Award from the New York Race Track Chaplaincy at the organization's 17th annual fund-raising brunch at the Saratoga National Golf Club in Saratoga Springs, NY. On hand to assist with the award presentation was Marylou's Whitney's granddaughter, Margaret Schlachter. “My late wife Lois and I have always had a great appreciation for all the people who work so hard and take such good care of the horses,” Green said. “I am really humbled and thrilled to be honored by an organization like the New York Race Track Chaplaincy, which provides such important programs and services to so many on a daily basis.” Green is the Founder and Chairman of the New Jersey CPA firm, The Green Group, specializing in tax, accounting and consulting especially in the Thoroughbred industry. D.J. Stable, which is now managed by their son, Jon, has won over 2,500 races with 40 graded stakes winners and Eclipse Award-winning champions Jaywalk and Wonder Wheel. As is the custom, Green was presented with a framed racing scene created by equine artist Tom Chapman from the New York Race Track Chaplaincy. In addition, Len was named a founding partner of the Chaplaincy's graduate support program in recognition of his generous support. The brunch attracted a capacity crowd of supporters from all segments of the racing industry and set a new record for fundraising. Previous honorees have included Tracy and Todd Pletcher, Andy Serling, Irad Ortiz, Jr., Anne Campbell, Edgar Prado, Michael Dubb, Fay and David Donk, Marylou Whitney and John Hendrickson, Letty and Kiaran McLaughlin, Lisa and Kenny Troutt, Debbie and Terry Finley and the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association. The post Len Green Honored with Marylou Whitney Award for Commitment to the Backstretch Community appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

He has been out of action since his powerful display in the G2 Dante Stakes in May, but Isa Salman Al Khalifa's Economics (GB) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) has never been too far from the news given his obvious potential and so it is with more than a small sense of anticipation that the purists await his comeback in Thursday's G2 Prix Guillaume d'Ornano at Deauville. Some of racing's kingpins have won this 10-furlong staging post in recent years, namely Almanzor (Fr), Mishriff (Ire) (Make Believe {GB}), Dubai Honour (Ire) (Pride Of Dubai {Aus}) and Ace Impact (Ire) (Cracksman {GB}) and it is certain to suit William Haggas's latest stable star. Favouring a more stealthy approach to the top and avoiding the temptation of the Derby, Eclipse and Juddmonte International may pay off handsomely in time and Haggas is keen to see the six-length winner of York's premier Derby trial back at the races. “He's still relatively inexperienced. As promising as he might look, he's still only run three races in his life, so we thought the Juddmonte might be quite a hard ask for a horse first time out for a while,” he explained. “He's a pretty nice horse, I haven't been looking very hard to see how good he is because that's not the way we like to do it, but he does everything very easily, he's pretty fit and I'm very much looking forward to getting him back on track–I can't wait really. What concerns me personally is how tight the ground might be for him. He's a great big horse and it's going to be quick ground, but he's got to run so we'll need to get on with it. He's a beautiful-looking horse and everything he has done so far has pleased us. He had a gallop at the racecourse at Newmarket about 10 days ago and he looked really good, so I'm really happy with him.” Economics's compatriot Jayarebe (Fr) (Zoffany {Ire}) also sidestepped the Eclipse and is appearing after a lay-off having last raced in Royal Ascot's G3 Hampton Court Stakes. King's Gambit (Ire) (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}), who was runner-up to Jayarebe in that 10-furlong contest, boosted the form when bustling up Alflaila (GB) (Dark Angel {Ire}) in the G2 York Stakes last month and trainer Brian Meehan is thinking Breeders' Cup ultimately for Iraj Parvizi's promising colt. “He's great, really happy with him. He seems like he's improved, he's in tremendous form,” he said. “I considered the Eclipse, which was a couple of weeks later and it was only the [soft] ground that put us off running there. He's taken a nice, gradual increase in class as he's progressed and this was kind of a very obvious next step for him, staying in his own age group. The plan has always been to take him to the Breeders' Cup Turf at Del Mar. Depending on what happens on Thursday, where to take him in between is a bit of a dilemma, but saying that I'd be happy to not run him again until the Breeders' Cup.” “He's got a good travelling speed,” he added. “The track at Del Mar is maybe not the ideal track for him, but he has got a good racing pace and he's just really straightforward and a good galloper and I think an extra two furlongs on that particular day would be ideal as well.” Also from Britain is Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum's Listed Heron Stakes winner Almaqam (GB) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), who steps up in trip having been sixth in the G1 St James's Palace Stakes, while the Wertheimers' G2 Prix Eugene Adam winner Bright Picture (Fr) (Intello {Ger}) is worthy of respect despite the strength of the overseas challenge. Louise Procter Returns… Deauville's G3 Prix de Lieurey sees White Birch Farm's still-exciting TDN Rising Star Louise Procter (Fr) (Siyouni {Fr}) stage her comeback having been given plenty of time to get over her disappointing effort in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches at ParisLongchamp in May. Unbeaten and the 2-1 favourite entering that mile Classic, she again faces a typically strong British challenge including the Listed Prix de Bagatelle winner Bright Thunder (Ire) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) and the Listed Coral Distaff scorer Spiritual (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}). The post Study Of Economics Begins At Deauville On Thursday appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

It almost feels like he's on the other end of some celestial phoneline, listening in and smiling. Because somehow Marty Wygod seems to have arranged things so that family and friends, since mourning his loss in April, could be consoled by an afterglow of the same vitality that had sustained his 84 years. First a colt gifted to his daughter Emily Bushnell and longtime racing adviser Ric Waldman took them to the GI Kentucky Derby; and now another graduate of his program has assisted its transition with a $2.4 million payday in the Fasig-Tipton Sale at Saratoga. But of course there's still that grievous void. “I miss our talks,” Waldman admits. “My phone doesn't ring nearly as much anymore. We would talk multiple times a day. At his memorial service, I said that we'd talk 20, 30 minutes at a time. And Pam interjected, 'You mean hours at a time!' I guess those calls did go on….” And why not, when they had so much to talk about? Which is why TDN is grateful to borrow something of the surplus available in Waldman, whose long experience is aptly measured by the fact that he remains synonymous with the great-great-grandsire of the two colts—both by Into Mischief—who have this summer helped to absorb the strains of bereavement. We'll return to Storm Cat, naturally, but a recent coffee in Lexington clearly required us first to consider the client and friend who had bequeathed such compelling reasons to keep looking forward. It was almost unbearably poignant, of course, that Wygod could not last the month between the GII Wood Memorial and the Derby. By the same token, however, even the raw hour of grief could be leavened by an immediate sense that Wygod's legacy was not going to abide merely in memories. The very celebration of his life could borrow some of its defining motifs: togetherness, affection, anticipation. Ric Waldman and Emily Bushnell at Aqueduct Wygod had watched Resilience win the Wood from his hospital bed, and afterwards everyone got onto a speakerphone at Aqueduct. Unabashed by an audience that included Waldman's girlfriend Frankie Trull, Wygod announced: “Ric, now's your best shot to get her to marry you.” “It was never just horses, never just business,” Waldman says with a smile. “He was always concerned about things you're going through. He was so family-oriented, and had such a great marriage, he just wanted everybody else to have the same benefit.” There was a fleeting moment in the Derby when Wygod's parting gesture threatened to become a true fairytale. But then real life intervened, and Resilience faded into sixth. “He did give us a thrill making his move at the top of the stretch,” Waldman recalls. “It would have been quite a tearjerker for everybody. But it was anyway. Selfishly speaking, Marty had allowed me the most exciting moment I've had in the business: to have Frankie with me for the whole ride, and bring my children to town and celebrate that week with them. The walkover! My kids loved it, they had no idea.” Resilience dropped right away in the GI Belmont S. but emerged with bone bruising and is being given all due time to resume his progress with maturity. “He's a really beautiful horse,” Waldman says. “I can't wait to see when he fully develops as a 4-year-old.” So a sequel may yet be written to an association stretching right back to when Waldman started in the business. His father Marvin, who had a liquor business based in Louisville, was partner in a small farm with Lee Eaton. This was back in the 1960s, long before Eaton revolutionized sales consignment, but exposed the young Waldman to an unmistakable vocation and he went to cut his teeth with Fasig-Tipton in New York. In those days Wygod was still claiming horses with “Lefty” Nickerson, and Waldman's first dealings with him were little more than clerical. Waldman (center) with Frankie Trull, Oliver and Emily Bushnell and Max Wygod at the Derby | courtesy of Ric Waldman It wasn't until the turn of the century that they began a closer working relationship. That was when Wygod implored Waldman to accept a young mare into Storm Cat's book, which he was managing for William T. Young of Overbrook Farm. Sweet Life (Kris S.) was a minor stakes winner on turf, and had managed a Grade I second, but in an era of limited books that did not sound quite sufficient. “I was trying to be as tactful as I could,” Waldman recalls. “Though I have learned more tact as I've gotten older! 'Marty,' I said, 'I really don't think she's up to it.' Anyway, he convinced me. And, of course, he was absolutely dead on.” The mare gave Storm Cat two Breeders' Cup winners, Sweet Catomine and Life is Sweet. And, as mutual respect grew into friendship, Waldman gained a privileged insight into a man who ran his racing program with the same flair as his business life. “Marty had a brilliant mind,” he says. “And great instincts. Most of his professional history was in the medical field, but he could have chosen anything. Because it wasn't the business itself that would focus his energies, so much as the people, the management team, the specialists he would hire and develop along the way. He always felt that if he had a nucleus of top people, he could make a company successful. It was a great mental exercise, talking horses with Marty. He was always thinking, always a step ahead. And he made me better for doing that.” Resilience was an especially precious gift in that his dam Meadowsweet (Smart Strike) is the only daughter, following a monotonous production of colts, of Tranquility Lake (Rahy)–who had earned $1.6 million before giving Wygod two further Grade I winners by Storm Cat. But neither After Market and Courageous Cat had yet emerged when Sheikh Mohammed famously gave $9.7 million for their brother Jalil as a yearling. What has made Resilience so fulfilling for Waldman are the personal elements. Not everyone, for instance, would be aware that Tranquility Lake was named for a feature on Marty's property in Rancho Santa Fe, California, with meadowsweet flowering along its fringes. Above all, this horse represents the combination of a Wygod family with the Storm Cat line: the result, in other words, of groundwork by Waldman on both sides of his pedigree, 20 years ago and more. Waldman reminds us how Storm Cat struggled for momentum, having largely disappeared from view for two years after just missing in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile. “The bloom was off the lily long before he covered his first mare,” Waldman says. “By then people were instead looking at his offset knees, his short neck.” Storm Cat | Horsephotos Having just started consulting for Young, Waldman immediately felt that the fee ($30,000) had been set too high. “You really can't afford to err that way, because that first book is the meaningful one,” he says. “And the only way to rectify that is to overcompensate the next year. So that's how great of a stallion he was, that he overcame all this. After a small first book, his fee wasn't dropped enough for his second. His first yearlings didn't sell particularly well. But when he was breeding his fourth book of mares, his first runners were coming through and showing some life. And, very intelligently, Mr. Young said, 'Well, let's find everybody who paid the full stud fee the first year, and offer them a free season to change their matings plans now it looks like he's going to be okay.'” Before long the challenge was reversed: how to refuse people who want to give you a ton of money to use your stallion? Waldman reckons that Storm Cat never covered more than 118 mares. So while some stallions were already going a good deal higher, it just about remained true that to reach an elite sire you needed an elite mare. That locked in the quality, and also left a surplus to filter down the pyramid. Which will hardly happen when a totally unproven stallion today can approach 300 mares, correct? “Well, I can defend both sides,” Waldman replies. “And I'm not trying to cop out! If there weren't such a thing as restraint of trade, I'd be in favor of limiting books and being a better custodian of the breed. But I don't fault anybody. If I had any of these giants breeding in the 200s, I'd be doing the same. It's just a fact of life, you can't tell somebody how many mares he can or can't breed. And in the end the market takes care of itself.” As it was, Storm Cat founded a dynasty that this year claimed both the Kentucky Derby and the Epsom original through parallel branches. “When I see him in a pedigree, as sire of the second dam or something, I do get a sense of pride–even though I have virtually nothing to do with it,” Waldman says. “Obviously he was owned by Mr. Young, but I felt so close to him, and so responsible for everything we did with him, that I do feel a kind of proprietorship.” But the real credit, for what has happened since, he distributes among those breeders who cultivated and diversified the sire-line. “I love observing successful breeders,” Waldman says. “Because fortunately they can put into practice different theories. The reasons Storm Cat reached such a high point are a) his sons were doing well at stud, and b) they were doing well in Europe. If he were just an American sire, he would never have been a $500,000 stud.” Marty Wygod and trainer Richard Mandella | Benoit But even the epic prowess of Storm Cat might easily have slipped through less accomplished hands. As a yearling, heading into the old July Sale at Keeneland, he came up with a positive test during an EVA outbreak. “So they said he had to be relegated to the tail-end of the sale,” recalls Waldman. “In Mr. Young's view, they were treating him like a leper. So he said, 'The hell with it, I'll just race him.' And the rest is history.” As so often in life, we are left to wonder about the path not taken. As horse people, we have to believe that we can make a difference; that fulfillment of potential is not inevitable. What if Young had washed his hands of the horse, and he ended up in some backwater? “He did have some physical ailments,” Waldman acknowledges. “Maybe he wouldn't have shown enough to warrant breeding, might have been castrated. But he had those big, powerful quarters on him. Knowing Mr. Young's habits, and how he hated to sell what he thought was a good horse, I have a hunch he was going to come back from that sale.” As it was, Young and Waldman were exhilarated by how it all played out. “For a native Lexingtonian, with such a born history here, Mr. Young got into farm ownership and breeding relatively late in life,” Waldman recalls. “But when he did, he really had the enthusiasm and the hunger. And he had vision. Really he was a frustrated architect. He'd have his say on every structure, the symmetry of every fence-line, tree, barn. “He loved to come into our Tuesday staff meetings and shake things up. And then after he'd got everybody agitated, he'd walk out saying, 'Okay, I'll leave you boys to figure it out.' He had a really good general manager, Bob Warren: he was like Radar O'Reilly to his Henry Burns.” And, really, it has been the same all the way through: Waldman has worked for a series of characters who diverged widely except in terms of caliber. There was E.P. Taylor's deeply intellectual son Charles, who hired him at Windfields. Even before his recruitment, Waldman was so ahead of the curve with Deputy Minister that he and Fred Seitz threw their little broodmare band at him in Maryland. Then he persuaded Taylor to expand his stake in the horse, to prevent him being moved. It was only grudgingly, however, that Taylor ever allowed more than 56 mares into his book. “The year Charles died, may he rest in peace, we bred 99 mares to Deputy Minister!” confesses Waldman. “That's how you get caught up in this whole contagion: the mentality is that if you're not keeping pace with everyone else, you're falling behind. “Charles was very cerebral. We had great discussions, exchanging ideas. But there was one part of him that was very similar to his dad. He was extremely competitive. He was really upset if he didn't win. But he was always fair and understanding with employees, and really believed in the traditions of the farm.” And then there was Brereton C. Jones, who brought Waldman from Fasig-Tipton as business manager. Brereton Jones | Keeneland “I've never met a more dynamic, enthusiastic person,” Waldman says. “He was a big, big personality. Such zeal. Oh, gosh, he was wonderful to work for. I left him to start my consulting business: I hated to leave, but he was going to be Governor of Kentucky. And I have a different personality. I knew I could never run Airdrie like he did. Fortunately, he understood that, and we retained a really good friendship for the rest of his life.” And while some of these figures have left the stage, Waldman still has a stimulating range of clients–and, after all these years, palpably remains as enthused as ever by the mysteries of the Thoroughbred. “Nobody can own the game,” he says. “So many Derby winners are rags-to-riches stories. That's what keeps everybody believing. The inexactness is what makes this open and fair to everybody.” By the same token, nobody should get carried away when things do work out. “As much as I'd love to take credit for Storm Cat, that's hogwash,” Waldman says firmly. “Regardless of how good or bad the management, you can't keep a top stallion from being a top stallion. As much as man intervenes, and tries to keep that stallion from being a top stallion, you can't do it. You might make it more difficult. But eventually the stallion is going to win out that argument. “His crop had Tasso, Danzig Connection, Groovy. All top racehorses, all busts as stallions. Storm Cat was precocious, that's critically important to me. Which means much more than just running fast as a 2-year-old. It's mentality. He was headstrong, tough. Of course, it was just two generations back to the great Northern Dancer, and his dam was extremely fast. Secretariats didn't generally come out fast like she was. It's easy to see why he could be a success. Now, what makes him that level? I don't think anybody can put their finger on that.” But that's what keeps him looking forward, with each new weekend of sport to digest. “I've always looked forward to Monday mornings,” Waldman says. “And anytime you're at a job, and you're looking forward to Monday morning, you're doing something right.” The post Waldman Savors The Abiding Legacies Of Horses And Horsemen appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Del Mar's first post Aug. 16 will shift from 4 p.m. to 3 p.m. PT and remain at that time Fridays for the balance of the meet, which concludes Sept. 8.View the full article

6th-SAR, $100k, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, post time: 4:03 p.m. ET Klaravich Stable paid $410,000 at last year's Keeneland September Sale for COMPETITIVE MARKET, whose pedigree reads all dirt, being a daughter of Horse of the Year and GI Breeders' Cup Classic winner Authentic out of Cajun Delta Dawn (Kantharos), who took two-thirds of the Florida Stallion Stakes in 2016 and was runner-up in that year's GIII Delta Downs Princess Stakes. The main-track form runs through the entire family, as Cajun Delta Dawn is a half-sister to SW Mom'z Laugh (Leroidesanimaux {Brz}) and to the useful MSP sire Cajun Breeze (Congrats) as well as GSP Peace At Dawn (Peace Rules). Dr Glick (Constitution) is the first foal out of More Mischief (Into Mischief), winner of the state-bred restricted Biogio's Rose Stakes at Aqueduct. The dam is a half-sister to Eye Witness (City of Light), a stakes winner on turf and synthetic. Wonderland (Medaglia d'Oro) was bought back on a bid of $235,000 at last year's Keeneland September sale, but fetched $385,000 at this year's OBS April Sale after breezing a furlong in :10 flat (see Summer Breezes). The stakes-winning and Grade II-placed dam Miss Southern Miss (More Than Ready) is also responsible for Beyond Stoked (Into Mischief), second in the Caesars Handicap on the turf at Horseshoe Indianapolis July 13. TJCIS PPs The post Authentic Filly Kicks Off Long On the Grass appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Group 1-winning sprinter Mill Stream (Ire) (Gleneagles {Ire}) will skip the G1 Sprint Cup at Haydock in September, and instead target races later in the autumn, according to trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam. After he returns from his break, the 4-year-old colt will aim for the G1 QIPCO British Champions Sprint Stakes at Ascot in October, and is eyeing further riches in Asia, with his 2024 finale pencilled in as the G1 Longines Hong Kong Sprint in mid-December. “He's turned out, having a little mini-break and then at this stage he will be next seen at Ascot on Oct. 19, then on to Hong Kong,” said Chapple-Hyam. “He's had five runs in two months and we just felt if we wanted to go to Champions Day with not a tired horse, it was wise to miss Haydock and get him fresh and ready for Ascot and then a trip to Hong Kong. “He'll come back in on Monday and will slowly work his way up to being prepared for October. “Last year, when he went to Ascot, he went there a tired horse and this year we want to go there with a solid chance. Everyone is looking forward to the two runs at the back-end of the year.” After winning the G2 Duke Of York Stakes in May, Mill Stream finished third in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot. He dined at the top table with a neck victory in the July Cup at Newmarket, and wound up a respectable fifth in the G1 Prix Maurice de Gheest at Deauville on Aug. 4. The post Mill Stream Handed End-Of-Season Targets appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Every week, the TDN posts a roundup of the relevant Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) related rulings from around the country. Among this week's rulings, trainer Steve Klesaris has been suspended for 15 days and fined $1,000 due to his trainee, She's Awesome, testing positive for gabapentin after winning at Aqueduct Nov. 19 last year. Gabapentin is a class B controlled medication under HISA that is an FDA human-approved anticonvulsant used to treat conditions like epilepsy, postherpetic neuralgia and in the treatment of partial onset seizures. Klesaris told the internal adjudication panel that the positive could have been the result of environmental contamination from urine-soaked straw in the track's receiving barn, which he described as “dirty and unkempt.” NEW HISA/HIWU STEWARDS RULINGS The following rulings were reported on HISA's “rulings” portal and through the HIWU “pending” and “resolved” cases portals. Resolved ADMC Violations Date: 08/12/2024 Licensee: Albert Gonzaz, owner Penalty: Period of Ineligibility of 60 days, beginning on August 13, 2024, or until all relevant purses are repaid, whichever is longer; a fine of $150,000 ($130,000 fine will be waived if all purses are repaid in a timely manner). Final decision by internal adjudication panel. Explainer: Refusal/failure to cooperate promptly and completely with HISA/HIWU under the ADMC Program Rules related to the horses Big Splash, Catbernay, Bella Renella, Keep Your Coil, Chollima, Wegonahavagoodtime, and American Cat. Date: 08/12/2024 Licensee: Monty Meier, trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Admission. Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Methocarbamol—Controlled Medication (Class B)—in a sample taken from Icy Mischief, who won at Pleasanton on 7/5/24. Date: 08/12/2024 Licensee: Raymond Handal, trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final decision by HIWU. Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Betamethasone—Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from He Has it All, who finished second at Aqueduct on 5/18/24. Date: 08/09/2024 Licensee: Miguel Hernandez, trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final decision by HIWU. Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Methocarbamol— Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Frisco Frills, who won at Emerald Downs on 6/16/24. Date: 08/07/2024 Licensee: Johnny Collins, trainer Penalty: A fine of $3,000. Explainer: Intra-articular injection within 7 days of a timed and reported workout on the horse Greatest Dancer on 7/7/24. Date: 08/07/2024 Licensee: Paul McEntee, trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final decision by HIWU. Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Cetirizine—Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Thirsty Accountant, who finished second at Belterra Park on 6/5/24. Date: 08/07/2024 Licensee: Steve Klesaris, trainer Penalty: 15-day period of Ineligibility for Covered Person, beginning on August 8, 2024; Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $1,000; imposition of 2 Penalty Points. Final decision internal adjudication panel. Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Gabapentin—Controlled Medication (Class B)—in a sample taken from She's Awesome, who won at Aqueduct on 11/9/23. Date: 08/07/2024 Licensee: Peter Miller, trainer Penalty: Disqualification of Covered Horse's Race results, including forfeiture of all purses and other compensation, prizes, trophies, points, and rankings and repayment or surrender (as applicable); a fine of $500; imposition of 1.5 Penalty Points. Final decision by HIWU. Explainer: Medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone—Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from House of Magic, who finished second at Del Mar on 11/23/23. Pending ADMC Violations 08/13/2024, Mark Glatt, trainer: Pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone— Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Mi Hermano Ramon on 6/24/24. 08/13/2024, William Downing, trainer: Provisionally suspended for a pending vets' list medication violation for the presence of Oxycodone and Oxymorphone—both banned substances—in a sample taken from Wootdareitis on 5/20/24. 08/12/2024, Ralph D'Alessandro, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Betamethasone— Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Production Credit, who won at Finger Lakes on 6/12/24. 08/09/2024, Angel Sanchez Pinero, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Camphor— Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Brother Showtyme on 7/18/24. 08/09/2024, Donaciano Gonzalez, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Methocarbamol— Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Full Time Strutin, who finished third at Thistledown on 7/4/24. 08/09/2024, Brittany Russell, trainer: Pending vents' list medication violation for the presence of Acepromazine— Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from L Street Lady on 6/17/24. 08/08/2024, Tim Abraham, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone— Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Big Cheddar, who finished second at Los Alamitos on 7/6/24. 08/08/2024, Tim Abraham, trainer: Pending vents' list medication violation for the presence of Phenylbutazone— Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Big Cheddar, who finished second at Los Alamitos on 7/6/24. 08/08/2024, Sergio Ledezma, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Methocarbamol— Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Elmer John, who won at Pleasanton on 7/6/24. 08/08/2024, Jonathan Thomas, trainer: Pending medication violation for the presence of Dexamethasone— Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Mouffy, who won the Perfect Sting Stakes at Aqueduct on 7/4/24. 08/08/2024, Dan Ward, trainer: Pending vents' list medication violation for the presence of Dexamethasone— Controlled Medication (Class C)—in a sample taken from Kobla Mas on 7/4/24. Violations of Crop Rule One important note: HISA's whip use limit is restricted to six strikes during a race. Belterra Douglas Lafrance – violation date August 9; $250 fine and one-day suspension Delaware Park Anthony Radcliffe – violation date August 8; $250 fine and one-day suspension Del Mar Mario Gutierrez – violation date August 8; $500 fine and one-day suspension Juan Hernandez – violation date August 9; $500 fine and one-day suspension Armando Aguilar – violation date August 10; $300 fine and one-day suspension Thistledown Luis Gonzalez – violation date August 10; $250 fine and one-day suspension The TDN also publishes a roundup of key official rulings from the primary tracks within the four major racing jurisdictions of California, New York, Florida and Kentucky. Here's a primer on how each of these jurisdictions adjudicates different offenses, what they make public (or not) and where. California Del Mar Reylu Gutierrez – violation date August 11; three-day suspension for careless riding The post Weekly Stewards and Commissions Rulings: Aug. 8-14 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Legendary Japanese reinsman Yutaka Take will be aboard Al Riffa (Fr) (Wootton Bassett {GB}) in the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, according to Japan's NetKeiba publication. Now owned by Masaaki Matsushima and the Al Riffa Syndicate, the 4-year-old colt claimed the G1 Grosser Preis von Berlin at Hoppegarten in their colours on Aug. 11. Take will be making his 11th attempt in the storied contest, and first since Do Deuce (Jpn) (Heart's Cry {Jpn}) in 2022. Matsushima was also involved in the ownership of the latter. “I received an offer to ride in the Grosser Preis von Berlin, but it was a bit too short notice,” Take told the racing press at Sapporo Racecourse recently of the Joseph O'Brien trainee. “If everything goes smoothly, we are aiming for the Arc. There's also talk of riding him in a trial race beforehand, which I'm thrilled about. It's a big offer, and I'm excited. His last race, where he finished second in the G1 Eclipse Stakes, was impressive. I'm really looking forward to this.” Al Riffa doubled his tally of Group 1 races on Sunday, as he was a winner of the G1 National Stakes as a juvenile. Prior to his Hoppegarten heroics, he had run second to 2024 G1 Derby hero City Of Troy (Justify) in the G1 Eclipse Stakes at Sandown. The post Yutaka Take Booked For Al Riffa Arc Ride appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

In order to accommodate the setting sun, Del Mar will permanently move Friday's first post from 4 p.m. PT to 3 p.m. PT and remain on that schedule for the rest of the meet, the club said in a release on Wednesday. The time shift is keyed on the setting of the sun in the San Diego area, which corrects by almost an hour over the course of the summer. Sunset on opening day (July 20) was at 7:55 p.m. PT, while on closing day (Sept. 8) it will be 7:04 p.m. PT. Additionally, first post on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays will adjust to 1:30 p.m. PT from the normal 2 p.m. PT beginning on Saturday, Aug. 31 and continue for the remainder of the season. The post Sun-Laden Del Mar Shifts Friday Post Time Back An Hour appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Shadwell's Elwateen (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}—Tawkeel (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}) was a warm order for Wednesday's seven-furlong fillies' novice at Kempton and duly delivered on debut as the 4-6 favourite. The first foal out of the G1 Prix Saint-Alary heroine was sharp away before being tucked in behind the leading duo by Kevin Stott. Staying on strongly up the rail to lead inside the final 100 yards, the Saeed bin Suroor trainee surged to a length verdict over Orchid (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}). The post Shadwell’s Dubawi Daughter Of Tawkeel Wins On Debut appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Group 3 winner Tamfana (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}) is targeting the G3 Atalanta Stakes at Sandown at the end of the month, according to trainer David Menuisier. Winless in four starts at three, the Quantum Leap Racing and Friends colourbearer was third in the G3 Prix Imprudence in Deauville in April, and ran a luckless fourth in the G1 1000 Guineas at Newmarket a month later. Third again, this time in the G1 Prix de Diane at Chantilly in June, the daughter of Tres Magnifique (Fr) (Zoffany {Ire}) was last seen running fourth in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris at ParisLongchamp on July 13. “Tamfana is likely to come back for [the] Atalanta Stakes at Sandown on the 31st of August,” said Menuisier. “After that she will either go for the [G1] Sun Chariot at Newmarket or the [G1] Prix de l'Opera at Longchamp the next day.” The post Big Race Entries Beckon Tamfana With The Atalanta Stakes Next appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Leading older horse Kingsbarns, winner of the $1 million Stephen Foster Stakes (G1) at Churchill Downs June 29, has exited a recent workout with an injury and has been retired from racing.View the full article

Today's lowdown with Emmanuel Talvard of Haras du Cadran brings the curtain down on the series TDN have been running in the build up to this year's Arqana August Sale, but don't be fooled into thinking it's all about the powerhouse consignments here in Deauville where the first of 325 catalogued lots–from, quelle surprise, Haras des Capucines, the largest consignors of all–will go under the hammer at around 2pm on Friday. For every Capucines, the team who will be busy from the first lot on Friday to their final lot, 320, late on Sunday, there's a handful of smaller operations like that of Philippe Brosset and Ciara O'Connor, for whom countless hours of hard work will be distilled into one evening on Sunday when their only two lots, 288 and 301, take their turn through the ring. The hard work continued on the Arqana sales grounds on Wednesday morning as the two fillies in question, by Hello Youmzain (Fr) and Kingman (GB), respectively, were paraded endlessly for potential buyers, all under the watchful eye of Brosset and 15-year-old Garett, the youngest son he shares with wife O'Connor. Within a few minutes in their company it's clear that this a family-run operation to its very core, but what's not clear is why they settled on the name Applewood Stud, a very English-sounding title for their base located around 45 minutes outside of Deauville? “Ciara and I met in America,” begins Brosset's explanation. “On and off, I worked for Coolmore in America for five years. At the time I was assistant manager on the main farm and then they gave me the responsibility of a little annex which was called Applewood Farm. I loved this little farm. It was very good experience for me and the people there have been very good to me. “When I came back, I said to Ciara, 'Why not call it Applewood Farm?'. And she said, 'Not farm–let's call it Applewood Stud'. So, that's the reason for the name.” The name Brosset is already a well-respected one in this industry after his time as director of Haras du Mezeray, having taken over that position when Henri Bozo moved to Monceaux in 2003. “Then Mezeray was sold to Nurlan Bizakov so I had to find my own way,” Brosset continues when telling the story of how Applewood became what it is today. “I got support from some of the old clients from Mezeray, like Charles-Henri de Moussac, who used to own the stud. He said, 'If you get your own place, I will help you'. And that was kind of the dream, for Ciara and me. “We found Applewood in Vieux-Pont and we fell in love with the place when we went there. It was half set up already and this year we built a barn with 17 stalls and paddocks just for the yearlings. We have roughly 60 acres and the goal will be to have what I'd call a select nursery. We'll have around 15 mares, so with their babies we'll have around 35-40 horses all-year round.” One of those mares is the now-18-year-old Idle Tears (GB) (Selkirk), a half-sister to the high-class sprinter and sire Dream Ahead, who delivered a notable result for the Applewood team in their first year of consigning when her filly by Soldier's Call (GB)–since named Wasabi (Fr)–was offered at the 2022 Arqana October Yearling Sale. “She is our lucky mare and we've had her for a long time,” Brosset says fondly of Idle Tears. “We sold her [Wasabi] for €75,000, which for us was a dream in our first year. She was bred to be speedy, but at three she won her first start over a mile and a half at Saint-Cloud, by 20 lengths on heavy ground. She's been placed since that and has a few Group entries in the fall.” As for this year's consignment, there is no mistaking Brosset's affection for Lot 288, the Hello Youmzain filly out of the Iffraaj (GB) mare Rose Et Or (Ire), already the dam of the Listed-placed Sun Flare (GB) (Exceed And Excel {Aus}). “I love that filly,” Brosset beams. “She was bred by Noir Et Or Elevage which is Charles-Henri de Moussac. The funny thing about this mare is I know her grandmother and I know her mother–I know the whole family! She looks sharp and she looks strong–she looks precocious and speedy.” “The second one belongs to Gestut Wittekindshof,” he adds of Lot 301, who is out of a half-sister to the G1 Preis der Diana scorer Serienholde (Ger) (Soldier Hollow {GB}), herself dam of the G1 NHK Mile Cup winner Schnell Meister (Ger) by the same sire as this filly. “She's more of a Classic type. She's by Kingman, who you can't fault this year–he's a flying machine.” Whatever that hour on Sunday brings for Brosset, O'Connor and the whole Applewood team, don't expect them to be challenging the likes of Capucines and Cadran with bumper consignments at Arqana in the years to come. This is an operation with many other strings to its bow, not to mention a young man who seems to have inherited his parent's work ethic if the way Garett runs the show in his father's brief absence is anything to go by. “We'll do some consignment, but that wouldn't be our main purpose,” Brosset sums up. “I would be happy to consign only the homebred horses. We've got lots of support from the English and Irish people, who might ask us to consign a horse for them, and this year we have the Kingman filly for German breeders. They send their mares during the season to us and they're happy with us–and we're happy with them! “That's the way we'd like it to go–we don't want to do a big consignment. I went through that and now the goal is to develop a family place. I'm hands on, every day on the farm, and I've got one employee with me. We'd like to keep it small and selective.” The post Applewood Stud and its Second Draft at the Arqana August Sale appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

After being purchased by Tom Magnier for AU$3.4 million ($2,250,545) at this year's Inglis Chairman's Sale, the G1 VRC Oaks winner She's Extreme (Aus) (Extreme Choice {Aus}) will head to North America to be covered by Justify in her maiden season, according to Coolmore in an article on TTR AusNZ. As has been well-documented, the Triple Crown winner is not returning to the Southern Hemisphere this spring, but will cover a limited book to Southern Hemisphere time at Ashford Stud. “Justify has quickly emerged as a world-class stallion but despite not shuttling this season he is still available on Southern Hemisphere time at Ashford, so we've sent up a few high-class mares that we think will be suitable,” said Coolmore Australia's Tom Moore. “Julia Ritchie touched on Champagne Cuddles, Invincibella and Shout The Bar in a previous article, but they will also be joined by She's Extreme who was purchased at the Inglis Chairman's Sale earlier in the year.” She's Extreme secured victories in the G1 Champagne S. and the G3 Magic Night S., and she has placed in the G1 Flight S., the G1 Spring Champion S., and the G1 Sires' Produce S. The post Justify To Cover Pricey She’s Extreme On Southern Hemisphere Time Says Coolmore appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Some of the most highly anticipated races during the summer racing season are the 'baby' races during the boutique meetings at Saratoga and Del Mar and at Ellis Park, which attract its fair share of high-priced offspring from a variety of top national outfits. Summer Breezes highlights debuting and stakes-entered 2-year-olds at those meetings that have been sourced at the breeze-up sales earlier in the year, with links to their under-tack previews. Here are the horses entered for Thursday at Saratoga: Thursday, August 15, 2024 Saratoga 1, $90k, 2yo, (S), 6 1/2f, 1:10 p.m. ET Horse (Sire), Sale, Price ($), Breeze Ozzy (Bernardini), OBSAPR, 35,000, :21 1/5 C-Arindel; B-Smart Choice Stable (PS) Saratoga 6, $100k, 2yo, f, 1 1/16mT, 4:03 p.m. ET Snipsnippitysnip (Girvin), OBSAPR, 155,000, :10 1/5 C-Shooting Star Sales LLC; B-Jeffrey Bloom, agent Wonderland (Medaglia d'Oro), OBSAPR, 385,000, :10 C-de Meric Sales, agent; B-D J Stable LLC The post Summer Breezes, Sponsored By OBS: August 15, 2024 appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

By winning last Sunday's GI Saratoga Derby Invitational, Carson's Run (Cupid) secured a spot in the AUS$5-million Ladbrokes G1 W. S. Cox Plate on October 26 in Australia. In U.S. dollars, the race is worth about $3.3 million. It's an invitation his connections are seriously considering. “We're interested,” said Terry Finley, the managing partner of West Point Thoroughbreds, which owns the horse with Steven Bouchy. “It is a very lucrative package. I haven't talked to (trainer) Christophe Clement about it yet but we are definitely game. That's an awful lot of money for a 3-year-old grass horse.” This is the second straight year in which the New York Racing Association has teamed up with the Moonee Valley Racing Club to offer the Saratoga Derby Invitational winner a spot in the Cox Plate. “We need more sporting gestures in our business,” Finley said. “When it comes to that we're all guilty at times, of putting money ahead of being a sportsman. They were good enough to create the connection to this race with NYRA and we want to be respectful of that.” No American-trained horse has run in the Cox Plate. In 2021, Irish trainer Joseph O'Brien pulled off the Saratoga Derby-Cox Plate double with State of Rest (Ire) (Starspangledbanner {Aus}). Next up for Carson's Run will be the Aug. 31 GIII Nashville Derby at Kentucky Downs. The purse for that race was recently increased from $2.5 million to $3.1. Should Carson's Run go in the Kentucky Downs race that would give him a bit less that two months to prepare for the Cox Plate. “It's a matter of how many times we want run him and the space between the races,” Finley said. “He's only run three times this year. I don't think that would be an issue. We could go to Kentucky Downs and then Australia and then get him ready for his 4-year-old year.” One complication involving the Cox Plate is Australia's strict quarantine regulations. When racehorses come to Australia, they're required to complete 14 days of post-arrival quarantine. Finley said that the final decision regarding the Cox Plate will be left up to Clement. “It seems like everybody is trying to do more and more of this, linking races run in different countries,” Finley said. “That's good for racing. I think they're taking the lead from the Breeders' Cup when it comes to that.” Carson's Run is named in honor of Carson Jost, who is battling Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome. Jost's father, Wade, is a partner in Carson's Run and attended West Point with Finley. The late Cody Dorman, the inspiration for the name Cody's Wish (Curlin) also suffered from the same genetic disorder. The post Connections Of Carson’s Run May Accept Invite To Cox Plate appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Jumps jockey Rachael Blackmore has been named as the international supporter of the racing charity Racing to School, the racing charity announced on Wednesday. A winner of both the Grand National and Gold Cup, Blackmore worked with the team again this year at Cheltenham's Festival Monday, a community initiative started in 2023 which engages pupils from local primary schools for a very special activity on the eve of the Festival. Blackmore, who also supports the Equestrian Centre Charity Festina Lente and Cancer Fund for Children, said, “Racing to School do fantastic work, providing young people from all backgrounds with opportunities to engage with the horseracing industry. I've had the opportunity to meet with local primary school groups the past two years at The Cheltenham Festival and I love being able to give back a bit of my time to the younger generation and speak about my experiences as a jockey. “I'm looking forward to supporting Racing to School and being a very small part of the vast work that they do across the industry.” John Blake, chief executive of Racing to School said, “Watching Rachael tell her story and interact so naturally and patiently with large groups of excited young people at Cheltenham made it an obvious decision to ask her to consider becoming an international supporter of the charity. “We are very fortunate to have a small number of committed ambassadors invested in our vision to connect an increasing number of young people with racing and all it can offer.” The post Blackmore To Serve As International Supporter Of Racing To School appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article

Amplify Horse Racing has launched its new Impact Campaign, an initiative aimed at raising $1 million to engage youth across the nation with horse racing, the organization said in a press release on Wednesday. The campaign will extend Amplify's reach and impact as the national youth arm of the Thoroughbred industry. Campaign goals include enhancing educational programs through curriculum creation and implementation, and the development of a mobile education unit, just to name a few. “Amplify is doing hugely important work for the industry by cultivating youth and young adult involvement,” said Amplify Executive Director, Annise Montplaisir. “Now, the industry has the opportunity to fuel Amplify's success and ensure the future of the sport by supporting our continued national growth.” Click here to learn more. The post Amplify’s Impact Campaign To Raise $1m To Drive Sport’s Expansion appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions. View the full article